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How much should I charge for lawn mowing?

Updated By ProfitDrawer

Short answer

Quote a flat price per cut from your cost per hour on site. ProfitDrawer's lawn care guide prices a quarter-acre lawn: 0.67 hour (40 minutes) x $35 = $23.45, plus $4 of fuel and wear, $2.10 of driving and $4 of overhead, for $33.55. Adding 25% for profit, taxes and rain days gives $41.94, so the example price is $45 per weekly cut. These are example numbers, not local rates.

Things that change the price:

  • Lawn size and obstacles: beds, fences and slopes add minutes.
  • Schedule: the guide prices the same lawn at about $55 on a biweekly schedule, because longer grass takes longer to cut.
  • Drive time: the example uses 3 miles from the last stop at a rough running cost of $0.70 a mile. Grouping lawns on the same streets keeps this low.
  • Overhead: insurance, phone and marketing, shared across every cut.

Steps to set your own price:

  1. Time a few real cuts.
  2. Multiply by the hourly pay you want.
  3. Add fuel, line, equipment wear and driving.
  4. Add your overhead share and a margin.

The free price per job calculator runs this math for any lawn. Then check what other local mowing services charge so your price sits in a sensible range.

Source: How to Start a Lawn Care Business (Beginner Steps and Real Math) · Updated

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General information, not tax, legal or financial advice. Check the rules for your state and your situation.